The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-12-02
Aztec Mummies.

scientific discoveries made on the Amer
iean continent. These mummies differ
from those discovered in Egypt in a re-
markable degree, being entirely nude,
without wIappings, and apparently not
having been subjected to any embalm-
ing process. Exposure to the air has
no effect upon them, the flesh having
been dried in a hermeticaily sealed cav
ern until it is like parchment, and the
weight of the bodies Is merely nominal.
Mr.. Docking, in whose possession
these specimens are at the present time,
tells a romantic story regarding their
discovery. In one of the spurs OF the
Sierra Msdre mountains, not far from
the banks of the Gila river and almost
on the boundary line between Arizona
and New Mexico, party of American
miners was searching for treasure which
tradition says is buried in these hills.
4 cavern was Ole day discovered, her
metically sealed with a cement which
defed the picks of the PARTY, and only
after clipping it of flake by fake was
entrance gained to the cave. Lighted
only by the flame of a blazing pine
branch they traversed a passage about
thirty feet in length, which ended il a
room cut in the solid rock. Here, in
stead of untold gold and other treasure
CT AZtecs, they were startled to find a
number of human bodies. looking more
gastly than usual in the flickering light
of the torches. After recovering from
their surprise, preparations were made
20 remove the remains, but the super
stitious natives of :he vicinity, believ-
gods, objected 10 The proceedings, and it
vas only with much diplomacy end oc-
casional skirmishes that they were fin
ally conveyed to flag station on the
Southern Pacific road and transported
to this city, where they were placed in
charge of Mr.. Docking, who will keep
them in his residence. where they have
been viewed by large number of scien-
lists and physicians. as well as by the
various consuls of foreign power in this
city.
The most remarkable of the number
are those of a mother and child, which
when found were enveloped in one
shroud, portions o: which are still to De
seen covering the lower limbs OF the
mother.
Still another mummy is that of a
woman, her long hair being in state os
perfect preservation. The feet are
small and highly arched, while the fin
gers are long and tapering. Remnants
of her shrowd still remaining is of a
darkblue color. differing both IN this re-
spect and in texture from the material
of which the other shrouds were COM
posed.
Another remarkable specimen, how
ever, is that Of man in a sitting post
ure, the body being considerable larger
than any of the others. During life his
girth Of chest must have been much
above the average, the whole of the up
per portion of the body having seeming
iy been nodded In gigantic proportions.
The cartilages of the ears and nose are
still plainly to be seen, while the head is
covered with a dense growth of black
hair. The eyebrows are well defined.
while between the gIisCening teeth pro-
trudes the tongue, now dried TO an al
most corkiike consistency.
The remaining mummy is that of a
man, said by scientists 10 have been
comparatively young at the time of his
death. Many speculations have beer
made by those who have seen the COL
lection as 10 his relation 20 the female
bodies reclining on either side of him.
And the different theories of brother
and husband have many advocates.
That the remains are those of the an
cient Aztecs, members of that civiIiza-
tion which was destroyed n Mexico by
the soldiers of Cortez. there can be nc
doubt. The women and the smaller
man present all the peculiar physical
conditions attributed to this once mum.
erous people. The high cheek bones
and slanting eyes are there. the thick
skin and black hair are plainly visible to
the eye, and the height of the bodies,
although they were found more or less
doubled upOL themselves, is estimated
at about feet and inches. When
this is taken into consideration, with
the fact that the Aztec spread south.
ward from about the Both parallel until
they Inhabited the high plateaus oi
Mexico and Central America, there can
De little doubt as to the race of which
these mummies were once living men,
bers.
The sDecimens will De skipped east in
a few days, and, in all probability, will
md resting-place in one of the prin-
eipal museums of Europe. Although
Mr.. Docking has kindly shown them to
all scientists and histUriars who have
called upon him. they VIII not be placed
TzT 20. 4,